London, UK (String Quartets Nos.2,3,4, and 7)

January 31, 2027

Brooklyn Rider performs three of Philip Glass’ string quartets, tracing his musical voice from early minimalism to later richness.

Pioneering New York-based quartet Brooklyn Rider have worked closely with Glass for two decades, performing his music from their earliest concerts and later recording the complete cycle of his string quartets.

Their concert brings together three quartets written across more than 30 years. The Second Quartet, drawn from music for Samuel Beckett’s Company, distills Glass’ early style into a sequence of spare, lyrical ideas.

The Fourth Quartet (Buczak) is more expansive and personal. Written in memory of artist Brian Buczak, it unfolds with a sense of quiet intensity, balancing flowing lines with moments of stillness.

The Seventh Quartet, from 2014, takes a different approach again. Cast in a single movement, it pares music back to its essentials, creating a direct and reflective sound world.

Together, these works offer a rounded portrait of Glass’ perceptive writing for string quartet, performed by four of his closest collaborators.

Find out more: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/philip-glass-at-90-brooklyn-rider-quartets/  

Repertoire

Philip Glass:

String Quartet No.7;

String Quartet No.2 (Company);

String Quartet No.4 (Buczak);

String Quartet No.3 (Mishima)